Ball point pen cartridge adapter



Jan. 22, 1957 A. T. LIGUORI BALL POINT PEN CARTRIDGE ADAPTER Filed March 18, 1954 INVENTOR ALFRED 71/900 1 ATTORNEY United States Patent BALL POINT PEN CARTRIDGE ADAPTER Alfred T. Liguori, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Delva Plastics, Inc., Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 18, 1954, Serial No. 416,987

1 Claim. (Cl. 120-8) The present invention relates generally to improvements in the field of writing implements, and it relates specifically to an improved ball point cartridge adapter device which permits the use of a standard replaceable ball point cartridge with many different types of ball point pens.

The conventional ball point pen generally includes a tubular orbarrel-shaped body member which supports a replaceable ball point cartridge either in a relatively fixed position or in a retractable position, which permits the selective advancing of the cartridge writing tip to an exposed or writing position and the retracting of the writing tip into a sheathed or protected position. The replaceable writing cartridge consists of an elongated tube which serves as an ink reservoir, at the front end of which is attached a coaxially extending ink feed tube having a reduced cross-section and supporting at its forward end a ball point which defines the writing tip. While there are many types of ball point pens, they most commonly employ a replaceable ball point writing cartridge of the above general description. However, the different pens require writing cartridges of different lengths and of slight differences in certain constructional details. Thus, a writing cartridge which is made to fit one type and size of pen will not fit another type or size of pen. As a result, there are produced and sold replaceable ball point writing cartridges of a variety of sizes and of slight structural differences. This has led to considerable confusion, and the necessity for the Storekeeper to maintain at all times a very large stock of different cartridges, at its best a highly uneconomical practice.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved device which permits the use of a basic or standard replaceable ball point writing cartridge in ball point pens of different types and sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved adapter device which would permit the use of a standard replaceable ball point cartridge with a variety of different ball point pens, said device being characterized by its extreme simplicity, inexpensiveness and ease of application.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved simple and inexpensive adapter device, which, in addition to permitting the use of a standard replaceable ball point cartridge with a variety of conventional ball point pens of different sizes and types, releasably holds the standard ball point writing cartridge to facilitate the distribution of the cartridge and the adapter devices as a simple unit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive replaceable ball point cartridge adapter device and holder of the above described character which may be formed of an organic plastic in a single molding operation.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front perspective view of one form of imsilient arms spaced below the base member.

2,778,336 Patented Jan. 22, 1957' ice proved device constructed according to and embodying the present invention, illustrating the device supporting a basic or standard replaceable ball point cartridge;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a standard replaceable ball point cartridge and an adapter element prior to assembly; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the standard replaceable ball point cartridge and the adapter element in assembled condition.

The present invention broadly contemplates the provision of a ball point cartridge adapter device comprising a base member having integrally formed therewith a plurality of elongated adapter elements which are joined to said base member along zones of weakness which permit the selective detachment of said elements from said base member without impairment of said adapter elements.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,- the base member consists of an elongated strip having depending legs adjacent to each end which are provided with inwardly directed apertured re- By forwardly inclining the resilient arms, the standard ball point cartridgemay be brought into engagement with the arm apertures and thereby be removably held by the base member. A plurality of elongated rod shaped elements are provided which have threaded lower portions which terminate/in pointed or tapered tips. The lengths of the adapter elements and the configuration of their upper ends are in-accordance with the requirements of the popular ball point pens now in use. The lower tips of each of the adapter elements are integrally joined to the base member, preferably along the long edge thereof, the cross-sectional area of the joint zone being comparatively small to permit the simple detachment of the adapter elements without impairment thereof. In the case of the preferred embodiment, the upper end of the standard cartridge is internally tapped to facilitate the rigid assembly of the cartridge and a selected adapter element. Furthermore, a small opening is preferably formed in the standard cartridge wall below its upper end to permit the breathing of the cartridge and the free flow of the ink.

Reference is now made to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the reference numeral 10 generally designates a strip shaped base member having depending from adjacent each end thereof a leg 12 of lesser thickness than the base member 10 each leg being provided with an inwardly directed resilient arm 14. Formed in each of the arms 14 is an aperture 16. By springing the arms 14 forwardly, a standard replaceable ball point writing cartridge 18 may be brought into engagement with the apertures 16, as illustrated, and the arms 14 permitted to return toward their normal position whereby to removably hold the cartridge 18.

The replaceable ball point writing cartridge 18 is similar to the conventional small sized ball point cartridge with some slight but important modifications. The cartridge 18 comprises an elongated tube 20 having a ball point supporting feed tube 20 of reduced cross-section at its front end and having its rear end internally threaded as at 24 and being provided with a small breather opening 26 forward of its rear end. The tube 20 is crimped at 28 rear of its forward end to provide detents for the engagement of a retractor spring common in many conventional ball point pens.

A plurality of adapter elements 30, 32 and 34 are of rod like configuration having their lower ends 36 of slightly reduced cross-section and threaded. to correspond to the tapped end of the tube 20. The adapter lower ends 36 terminate in pointed or tapered tips 38 which are integrally I base me'mber '10. The cross-sectional area of the joint zone between the adapter elements 30, 32 and 34 respectively and the base member is sufficiently small to define a zone of Weakness which permits the simple detachnient of the adapter elements'from the basemember without impairment of the individual adapter "elements. It should be'noted, that while'the adapter'elements 30 are of simple rod like configuration, the adapter'element 32 is provided with an upper cylindricalportion '40 of reduced cross-section and the adapter'element 34is provided with 'a tubular preferably metal extension 42 which is secured to the body portion of the adapter element 34 in any suitable fashion such as by engaging an upwardly directed cylindrical projectionwhose diameter is approximately equal to the innerdiame'ter of the tube 42. The particular configuration of the adapter elements 32 and 34 are such as to permit the use of the cartridge 18 withtypes of ball point pens currently popular. Indica, such as numerals 44, are formed on the front face of the base member 10 beneath each of the adapter elements 30, 32 and 34 so as properly to identify each of the adapter elements and indicate in which pens they are designated for use.

The entire adapter unit, including the base member, adapter elements and cartridge holding arms, is formed of any suitable organic thermoplastic or thermosetting material as an integral unit by a single molding operation.

'The application of the improved-adapter device is extremely simple' The required adapter-element, as determined from the indicia 44, is detached from the base member 10 by inclining the selected adapter element forwardly or rearwardly relative to the basemem'ber 10 until the joint between the adapter element and the base member is fractured. Thereafter, the bottom threaded end of the adapter element is screwed into the tapped end of the basic or standard cartridge 18, whereupon the cartridge is ready for insertion into the ball point pen.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the'spirit thereof. Having described my invention, what I claim and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is: v

An"a'dapter device of the character described, comprising a base memberand a plurality of rod shaped adapter elements of varying lengths having their lower portions threaded and terminating in tapered tips, said adapter elements being integrally formed with said base member, said tapered tips being joined to said base member to define zones of weakness at said joints which permit the selective detachment of said adapter elements from said 'base'member without substantial impairment of said adapter elements.

Refer'ences Cited in the file of this patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS 309,414 Smith Dec. 16,1884 1,020,916 Lanier' Mar. 19, 1912 2,427,068 Randolph Sept. 9, 1947 2,560,414 Cheney July 10, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,818 "Belgium -'Feb. 15, 1951 1,020,495 France Nov. 19, 1952 481,996 Italy .1 June 17, 1953 

